CM to inaugurate Bangla Sangeet Mela today

Kolkata: Bangla Sangeet Mela 2017 and Biswa Bangla Loksanskriti Mela which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate on Saturday is a classic example of how the state government is showing respect to the established and budding artistes and musicians alike.

Special awards will be given to Jeet Ganguly and Abhijeet at a function at Uttirno. The Sangeet Mela will be held from December 24 to 30 while Biswa Bangla Loksanskriti Mela will be held from December 24 to January 1, 2018.

Nearly 3,000 well-known and budding artistes will take part in the Sangeet Mela. The programmes will be held at Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Phanibhusan Vidyabinod Yatramancha, Rabindra Okakura Bhavan, Madhusudan Mancha, Hedua Park, Madhusudan Mukta Mancha and Deshpriya Park. There will be a whole night programme at Rabindra Sadan on December 30 to mark the closing of the functions.

It was the erstwhile Left Front government that had started gaan mela which was a chaos. Only the preferred artistes were given chances. The functions never started on time and only the renowned performers were given a token remuneration. The musicians were very poorly paid.

After coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ensured that all artistes, including vocalists, instrumentalists and musicians, would get remuneration irrespective of their name and status.

The Information and Cultural Affairs department is managing the Mela in a beautiful manner.

All the artists have been asked to give their signatures in accordance with their bank accounts in the letter of confirmation. They have also been asked to be present at the venue half-an-hour before the programme and register their names. Accordingly, they would be asked to perform on stage.

The schemes taken by Mamata Banerjee have saved many folk artistes who had joined other vocations to earn a livelihood. They are given monthly stipends and the state government has given them regular programmes to help them to earn a respectable living. Folk music have regained its past glory and there are no Melas organised by the state government departments where folk artistes are not invited.